


Worth Every Sacrifice

by CloakedSparrow



Series: Steve and Bucky: Tales of Recovery [2]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Canon Divergence - Bucky is an only child, Caretaking, Comics/Movie Crossover, Friendship/Love, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Illnesses, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Love, Past Character Death, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-War, Roommates, Sacrifice, Sick Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 19:42:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5883145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky makes sacrifices in order to take care of Steve. He's certain it's worth it to keep his friend by his side and as healthy as possible. Steve likely wouldn't agree, but he what he doesn't know won't hurt him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth Every Sacrifice

Bucky's mother sat with Sarah Rogers often while she was ill, much the same way Bucky sat with Steve during his bouts of illness. Shortly after Sarah's death, she began coughing up blood. She died soon after. A few months later, Bucky's father had been training troops to jump when his chute failed. 

Bucky sold off most of his parents' things to pay for their funerals and get him and Steve set up in their own place. No matter how much Steve had wanted to stay there, they couldn't afford to live in the apartment he had shared with his mother. A paperboy and a stock-boy just didn't make as much as a nurse. 

A little later on, Bucky had been promoted from stock-boy to bookkeeper at the market after the owner discovered how good he was with numbers. He went to the docks on weekends for extra work as well. When Steve got ill, Bucky took extra hours working as a stock-boy again, hauling crates and boxes. 

Steve returned to his job as a paperboy as soon as he was able. Bucky had thought it was too soon for his most recent illness, but as usual, Steve wouldn't listen. Now, Steve was bedridden again. He needed medicine. 

Bucky pulled extra hours at the docks after the doctor started talking about pneumonia. It was going to be cold soon too. He had to get in the work while he could. Steve never did well in the cold, wet winter. 

The extra hours weren't enough. They had just caught up on rent. Bucky couldn't work any more hours; couldn't cut back on meals anymore than he'd been. He needed sleep. 

If he brought up any of his concerns to Steve, it would only make his friend feel guilty. Bucky didn't want that. He especially didn't want Steve to push himself to work more or go without.

Bucky hadn't sold _all_ of his parents things. He had his father's pocket watch, passed down from his grandfather. His mother's Magen David and her brooch, which had been in the family for several generations. He kept them hidden in an old cigar box his grandfather had given him when he was a small child. 

Bucky kept the Magen David. It felt wrong to sell that, although he would if it came to that. For now, he took the brooch and the watch to a girl he used to go dancing with. She was engaged, but her finance was an apprentice who'd been sent away somewhere, and she loved to dance as much as Bucky did. 

Her father had been worried for her standing, but he relaxed after he asked around and learned that Bucky's reputation was sterling. He had taken a liking to Bucky after that. He also happened to be a jeweler. While Bucky knew he'd never get the full value of his family heirlooms, he figured he'd at least get a fairer deal with him than he would anywhere else.

Bucky was pretty sure he had. He'd gotten more than he'd expected to anyway. Enough to get Steve's medicine, coal for their stove and all their needed groceries, plus some extra fruit he hoped would be good for Steve. The doctor had been talking about vitamins.

“What's all that?” Steve asked as soon as Bucky entered their apartment. It consisted of only two rooms without a proper door separating them, so Bucky had expected Steve to see him enter with a big box of food and a can of coal. 

“Groceries.” Bucky put everything down and moved over to the bed. He gave Steve the bottle of medicine. “How're you feelin'?”

Steve accepted the medication. Then he looked into the kitchen and frowned. “You got coal?”

“It's gonna be cold soon.” Bucky put his hand on Steve's forehead. He was still feverish. “Figured I'd get it before it was in demand.”

Steve knocked his hand away. The blow felt weaker than usual. He was definitely getting sick again. He still managed an impressive scowl. “How did you afford coal _and_ groceries?”

Bucky sighed and looked at some of Steve's drawings they had on the wall. He hated lying to Steve. But the truth would hurt him. He already doubted himself too much. It lead him to try to prove himself in some very reckless ways, like starting fights he had no hope of winning. 

“Don't be sore, okay?” Bucky looked his friend in the eye. Steve looked frustrated already. He couldn't tell him. “I won a bet.”

Steve frowned, looking more surprised than angry now. “A bet? I thought I was the risk-taker here. Since when do you gamble?” 

“Since we fell behind on rent.” Bucky winced at the look on Steve's face. “Now don't be blaming yourself, Steve. It isn't your fault. We're in this together, remember?”

“Where was that attitude when you were gambling?” Steve's voice was rough, but then he started coughing, so Bucky couldn't be sure if it was due to illness or anger. 

He moved to make his friend some tea to sooth his throat. “Don't scold; I feel bad enough and you'll hurt yourself. I'll make you some tea.”

“Thanks.” Steve dropped back down on the bed. “This isn't gonna become a habit, is it?”

Bucky scoffed. “What; takin' care of you? Been doin' it too long to quit now, pal.” He tossed a grin over his shoulder. “You're stuck with me.”

“Yeah, I got that.” Steve grinned back. He sounded calm now. “I meant the whole betting thing.”

Bucky groaned. This is one of many reasons why he hated lying. You had to keep lying to back it up. “It was a spur of the moment kinda thing. I won't do it again, okay?”

“You better not.” Steve blew his nose. “The only thing you have to put down is labor and you've been working hard enough as it is.”

Steve was already sounding tired. Bucky guessed it would be at least two weeks until he could work again. At least, he hoped to get him to take it easy for that long. He finished with the tea and handed it over. “Here, drink this.”

Steve sat up -with a little help from Bucky that neither commented on- and sipped his tea.

“You know I don't mind a little hard work.” He spoke while Steve was drinking and therefore unable to interrupt. “Besides, we just had a rough year, is all. It'll get easier.”

Steve nodded. He looked down at his cup. “Thanks, Bucky. This is good.”

Bucky grinned. “Anytime, pal.” He nodded toward the box of groceries. “I'm gonna hit the latrine and then I'll put all this away. Try to get some rest, yeah?”

Steve nodded. “Sure thing, Buck.” He looked like he could fall asleep sitting there. It wouldn't be the first time Bucky had to wash tea out of their bedding. 

Bucky headed down the hall to the shared lavatory door of their building. Once inside, he leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He reached up and touched his mother's Magen David, hanging around his neck and tucked under his shirt. He knew she had wanted those heirlooms to stay in the family, and it had been hard, parting with one of the last reminders he had of her. But he would part with the last one too if it meant keeping Steve by his side. 

His mother had been a practical woman and she valued family above all else. Bucky knew she would have understood. Steve was his family now; the only family he had. She would have been proud that Bucky took care of him. 

Bucky took a deep breath and headed back to his and Steve's apartment. He decided to make some soup for dinner. He doubted Steve would be able to handle anything else. 

With the money he'd made, they'd more than caught up. With the raise that came with his new position, they'd be able to afford those art classes Steve had been talking about. After Steve got his certificate, he'd be able to work on advertisements or something. That would be better than working as a paperboy. At least it would keep him inside when the weather was bad.

They would be alright; as long as they stuck together. Bucky was sure of it. In the end, it would be worth any sacrifice. 

Bucky was sure of that too.


End file.
